After being sensationally scratched on the eve of last year’s $5 million Cox Plate, French import Gold Trip is on the comeback trail with another tilt at the prestigious race in sight.
Gold Trip arrived in Australia last spring as a high-priced purchase by Hunter Syndicators Australian Bloodstock. The four-year-old entire was on a one-way trip to the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace stable with his initial task to be the Cox Plate (2040m).
Although winning only once in 10 career starts, the stayer had raced at the highest level in Europe and had been placed three times at Group 1 level.
He was fourth in 2020 running of the famed Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) in heavy going and he had been placed at Group 1 level, over 2100m and 2400m, in France at his previous two starts, both on soft tracks.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained State Of Rest was Gold Trip’s travel and quarantine partner. They were the only two recent international imports set to tackle the prestigious race at Moonee Valley.
However, their paths took very different turns. The Irish raider State of Rest survived a protest to win the 2021 Cox Plate after a thrilling finish with the Godolphin-trained Anamoe.
Gold Trip never made the race after being sensationally scratched due to a Racing Victoria veterinary ruling.
All Cox Plate starters must pass a pre-race inspection by Racing Victoria vets on the Thursday before, and at that time Australian Bloodstock director Jamie Lovett was hopeful of final approval.
“The vets are not giving us much peace, but we couldn’t be happier with the horse,” he said.
“His work has been good, they say he looks terrific in the coat. I’ve seen some vision of him and he couldn’t look much better. We’re just hoping we get the green light.
“He had all the CT scans and the rest of it, and he’s passed everything. He’s had three or four lots of them.”
But it wasn’t to be.
In a statement, Racing Victoria said it had engaged six different vets to examine Gold Trip over the two days before the Cox Plate and all were unanimous in their decision that the lameness displayed by the horse was not at an acceptable level to race.
Part-owner Noel Greenhalgh conceded that Gold Trip had experienced some minor stiffness since arriving at Werribee earlier that month. But also, that the horse had passed an extensive veterinary screening process, both before he departed Europe and again when he landed in Melbourne.
With connections happy with the horse, he was then transported north to Sydney. After completing light work at Warwick Farm and just days after being declared not fit to race in Victoria, Racing NSW’s vets cleared him fit to start in the 2000m Rosehill Gold Cup.
But Gold Trip is still yet to make his Australian debut, with hard tracks in Sydney last year putting plans on hold and prolonging the owners’ wait to see their investment in action.
The horse has been back in work being steadily brought along by Maher & Eustace and was set for Monday’s Cranbourne trials before they were abandoned.
Although they would have liked to see Gold Trip trial, Australian Bloodstock co-founder Luke Murrell said the fact Gold Trip was so advanced in fitness was a pleasing sign.
Murrell said Maher & Eustace would aim Gold Trip for another tilt at the Cox Plate, and he would probably have another short break before his spring campaign begins in earnest.
“The Cox Plate is the main aim and that’s a long way away, but the intention was to get him up then back off him for a couple of weeks,” Murrell said.
“Then he’ll have that residual fitness without any racing.”
“He was ready to go in Melbourne (last spring) and things didn’t go well with the vet and he was right to go in Sydney then we got the rock-hard tracks,” Murrell said.
“It hasn’t been a major concern but more a matter of doing the right thing by the horse.
“It’s just to get them in and give them a preparation because he’s been so long off the scene.
“The fact that being up and ready with no real issue is great.”
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